Despite the fact that ISD 739 is facing a budget deficit, Kimball Area Public Schools were praised during their yearly audit, conducted by Kern, DeWenter, Viere, Ltd. Lori Bartlett of the firm was the managing accountant of the review. “I would commend all of you for watching this. You did very well,” Bartlett said. She warned that the district is not off the hook. It still has a deficit of $38,484. “You should continue to monitor the budget,” Bartlett said. “I talked with the staff and they said they are. Keep doing this.” Bartlett also pointed out that ISD 739 has lost 123.79 students over the past five years. Because districts are paid on a per pupil basis, Bartlett said this should be monitored. After hearing the audit, the board approved working with the City of Kimball to hire Kimball Police to act as liaison officers. Previously, Stearns County offered a grant which paid for an officer within the schools. The program was cut as a result of reduction in state aid. Superintendent Scott Thielman said that this money would come out of the the safe school levy. “I think that this is a good investment of safe schools, it is an appropriate investment,” Thielman said. “I think it is good for our students to get to know the officers in a different way.” In other action, the board: • Granted a contract to Cubby Land Daycare for two years. The facility needed this guarantee from the board to apply for a $19,375 grant which would purchase toys and supplies. Some of the proposed uses of this grant include offering a concrete path for trikes and riding toys, and purchasing supplies that can help teach gross motor skills. • Completed a second reading of the school lunch policy. The new policy states that meals will always be provided to preschool, K-3 graders and handicapped students. Families will also be given written notification when their family account has money to cover five or fewer meals. • Announced that they had prepared documentation regarding the district’s spending for interested community members. The hand-out will replace teh truth in taxation meeting which wasn’t need this year as taxes decreased. • Celebrated students of the month at the elementary and high schools. Discussed the success of the district Web site, which receives about 300 hits per day. The site was created by ISD 739 employee Nancy Bonnifield. Congratulated Brianna Libbesmeier for being student of the week in the St. Cloud Times. The board also recognized the homecoming events at the schools. They honored Dave Traurig for his new sports readers program where high school athletes read to students at the elementary school. Honor roll students were recognized for their work during the second semester of the last school year. • Discussed pre-K transportation. Area daycare providers Dee Leither and Karla Davis discussed how hard it is for them to bring their daycare children to preschool with no transportation. Both providers were given a sheet that explained transportation costs at the preschool open house. Leither questioned, “Why did this paperwork come out if you are not going to stand behind it?” Thielman explained that the transportation was meant for special needs children, as the state requires busing of these individuals. “We don’t receive reimbursement for transporting non-qualifiying kids under one mile.” Thielman also explained that transportation is one of the district’s biggest costs. “Right now it costs us about $531 to transport each student. We are deficit-spending in transportation.” Elementary principal Jon Clark suggested the daycare centers look into making their own contract with local busing companies. Thielman suggested using part of the Initiative grant to provide these funds. Leither responded, “We provide a service [to the community] and the school doesn’t want to work with us to get these students to school.” Davis added, “I think that we need to come together as a community to find a solution to this problem.” Thielman told the providers that he would continue work towards a solution. After the daycare providers left, the board further discussed the issue. Member Jerome Kuechle said the board needs to figure out a solution. “I am glad as heck that we have these daycare people in town to keep the kids here,” Kuechle said. Board chair Dorothy Kersten looked for solutions and said she wanted to see that the daycare providers were worked with regarding this problem. Kuechle said, “Let’s look at the total dollar amount to do it (bus the preschool students). Then let’s argue about it.” Thielman said he would continue to work with the daycare providers. • Reviewed the emergency plan policy. It was noted that the policy was practiced at both the elementary and high school with staff members. “Ultimately we want to practice this with students, too.” Thielman said. Kuechle questioned what the schools were doing for at-risk students. “We intervene,” Thielman said. “It was part of our conversation at the last faculty meting. [Teachers and paraprofessionals] watch and listen to see what’s going on.” • Heard a report from Clark. He told the board that P.I.E. (Partners in Education) held a successful book fair during conferences. The group also planned another sale at the next set of conferences. “We want to have as many opportunities as possible to have books [for our students].” Clark also said the food committee met and decided to offer extra helpings for fifth- and sixth-grade students; there will be new report cards with consistent grades throughout the school; the Lions contributed $560 for sixth-grade girls to attend non-traditional career day; the math curriculum was being reviewed to see if it would comply with new state standards. • Discussed the problems with conference times during secondary principal Karen Imholte’s brief. “I heard there were a lot of problems with the times,” member Doug Stenger said. “Parents who worked out of town couldn’t make it in for the conferences.” Thielman and Imholte said they would offer different times for the next conferences. Imholte added that the seventh-grade students had a successful retreat on courage; discussed new provision for activity accounts. • Thielman told the board that the community is moving forward on the Initiative Foundation grant. • Looked at how incompletes, and “F” or “D” grades affect student athletes. The board talked about forming a committee to further discuss this issue.
